"Skipper? Get the door, please!" I stomped down the stairs, opening the door to reveal Farkle.
"It's just Farkle."I called, stepping out onto the porch,shutting the door behind me.
"Riley is having a New Years party. Go with me?" I bit my lip.
"I don't know. Are you going to tell Maya and Lucas about Riley."
"If need be. But as my girlfriend, I ask that you support me and trust that I'm doing the right thing." I thought about it for a moment. Farkle had been there to support me through all of this. But I wasn't sure about this.
"I want to, Farkle. I do. God knows you deserve it, but I just...I'm worried about what might happen."
"So am I. That's why I need you there." I stepped forward, grabbing his hands and pressing my lips gently to his.
"Ok. I'll go to the party." He gave me a small smile.
"Now...how do you feel about reading this book to me?"
"Surely a genius like yourself can understand Jane Austen."
"I get it. I'd just prefer that I get it in your voice." I smiled.
~~~
1. Friendship
2.Growth
3.Feelings
"We form friendship before we even know what friendship means. We just know 'Hey! I like this person'. We grow,b efore we even know what growth means. We just know, 'I see things differently now'. And finally, we feel. And do you know what we know from those feelings? Nothin'. We just feel. It's how we know we're alive.But you have to be careful with feelings. They can tear apart friendship and growth."
"Friends come first, and growth is knowing that your friends' happiness comes before your own." Riley told her father.
"That's nuts."
"You tell her, Ham bone!" Farkle said.
"But Dad, you've always lived that way."
"Not always, Riley. I didn't used to. But, I learned the way you're learning now. Every event in history comes from people feeling something and then acting on those feelings or sometimes being smart enough not to. That's how you grow."
"Is that on the test, sir?"
"It is."
"When is the test, sir?" Lucas asked.
"Every day." I answered.
"Right again, Skipper. Happy New Year, everyone."
~~~
"Do you give in to your feelings, or let your mind rule over your heart?" Harper questioned.
"I follow my heart. It gets me into trouble."
"What about you Riley?" Farkle asked.
"My mind tells me to do what's right."
"Can anyone answer which is more valuable to follow?"
"It depends on the situation." Lucas told her.
"No, it doesn't."
"Just taking a shot!"
"Very passionate." Harper told him.
"Thank you!"
"And that's wherewe run into trouble."
"You set me up!"
"So, basically what you're saying is that letting your heart have free reign can hurt you and those around you?" I asked. She nodded.
"And pure intellect?"
"To never follow your heart is a life unlived."
"Sense and sensibility? Can anyone, aside from Skipper, tell me what's the most important word in the title?"
"Sense."
"Sensibility."Farkle's hand went up.
"Farkle."
"And. Head 'and' heart. You need to use both."
"Very good."
"You have until New Years Eve. This horn blows at midnight." He glanced at me, and I gave him a small, worried nod.
~~~
I stood with Farkle at the door, who wore black jeans and a red sweater. The door opened and we stepped inside.
"Happy New Year, Riley." I told her, hugging her.
"Tick, Tick, Tick-"
"Farkle, welcome to my party. Have a great time." Lucas appeared around Riley and I gave them a small smile. Only Riley could see that it was an apoligetic one. Farkle wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me over to the couch. I said down, My hands fidgiting nervously in my lap.
"I know you didn't want to, but thank you for coming with me." He whispered in my ear. I nodded, leaning into his side.
"I'm scared, Farkle."
"I know...me too."
~~~
Later, Farkle and I stood by the wall, watching the party.
"What do ya got there, Charlie?" Riley asked, approaching him.
"It's The Couples Game. Wanna play?"
"What is it?" Lucas asked loudly.
"Oh gosh, this is happening." I said, grabbing Farkle's hand and turning his attention to them.
"Shows if you'd be a good couple or not. Wanna play?"
"No!" Riley and Lucas said together.
"What's wrong, Lucas? Scared?"
"No, I'm not scared of anything. Let's go."
"Riley, I think you might find this interesting."
"Won't we all?" I dragged Farkle over.
"Would you like to be my partner?"
"Sure." Riley told him.
"Count us in too." I said. They'd need someone to diffuse things if it got too awkward.
"You and me?" Lucas asked Maya.
"Sure."We sat down beside them. Farkle wrapped an arm around me.
"Ok, first question is for us. What is your partner's favorite movie snack? I know this, it's popcorn and licorice." Riley replied. It was obvious she doesn't like Charlie.
"When somthing funny happens and she thinks she's laughed too hard, she looks around the theater to see if anybody heard her. And if she thinks something scary's gonna happen, she reaches out and grabs your arm."
"And she doesn't even know she did." Lucas finished.
"It's not your turn, Friar!"
"And that wasn't the question, Gardner! What's her favorite snack?"
"Gummies."
"Yeah, but-"
"Red."
"But what does she-"
"She bites their heads off first so they feel less pain."
"He's like a creepy creep-creep."
"Why are you interested?" Maya questioned.
"I'm not."
"Hey guys! I think that about covers the question, moving on?" I asked, handing Maya and Lucas a card.
"How would you describe your personality: Library or campfire? Oh, well, you know..." Lucas shoved the card in his mouth. I furrowed my eyebrows.
"Huckleberry, it's just a game." She pulled another card."Is it possible to love two people at the same time?" She shoved the card in her mouth. "Oh, yum."
"Ok, then."I grabbed the card box.
"What's your partner's most ticklish place on their body?"
"Um, Skipper and Farkle?"
"How would they possibly-"
"Know anything like that?"
"Back of his head, right there." He winced,grabbing my wrist. He grabbed my knee,and I jumped, grabbing his wrist this time.
"Huh."
"Ok, um..." Riley grabbed the cards. "We'll do one more. Have you ever kept a secret from somebody you love? Game over."
"Why? Because you know secrets are dangerous?" Farkle asked.
"No, Farkle, because it's almost midnight."
"And you know what happens at midnight."
"Ok, it's time to go up to the roof." She grabbed his sweater, dragging him to the coat rack, grabbing their coats, and heading out the door. I got up immediatley and followed them, not bothering to grab my coat.
"I just need a little more time." Riley said, when I reached them.
"No more time! We made a deal, RIley. We're not starting off the new year with lies between friends."
"I'm lying for my friend, Farkle."
"I don't think you know what you're doing. I don't think she know what she's doing."
"Do you?"
"I'm sorry, Riley.This is all new for me too. All I know is that we should always tell each other the truth."
"Farkle...if you really care about me, I know you will do the right thing."
"I do. And I will."
"And." They turned around to look at me. I walked up, taking Farkle's arm.
"What?" Riley asked.
"The most important word in Sense and Sensibility is 'and'. Remember that." The others started coming through the door, so I pulled Farkle away from her to the edge of the roof.
"Where is your coat?" Farkle asked.
"Downstairs. I forgot to grab it." He took his coat off, putting it on my shoulders. "What about you?"
"I'll be ok." He wrapped his arms around my waist, hugging me from behind. I slipped my arms into his coat sleeves, and wrapped my arms around his. "I'm doing the right thing...aren't I?"
"I thought you weren't at first, but hearing you explain it to Riley...yeah. You're doing the right thing. You know, after tonight, nothing will ever be the same."
"Yeah...I know." He buried his face in my neck, and I brought a hand up to his hair. I turned around to see Maya standing with Lucas, and Riley sitting alone on a bench.
"Do you mind If I..."
"Go ahead." I kissed him, walking over to Riley, plopping down on the bench and running into her obnoxiously, causing her to smile.
"You ok?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"Ok. Now tell me the truth." She sighed. "Riley...there has to be a part of you that realizes that this is a bad idea. But knowing you, you tend to ignore that part."
"Maya is my best friend."
"And when this is over, I have a feeling you still will be."
"But what about the book-"
"Fiction." I answered. "While Jane Austen is a literary genius and a true romantic...her writing is fiction. Not true. The fate of her characters doesn't predict the fate of real people. Least of all two girls who have the friendship that you and Maya have. It'll be weird for a while, but you'll bounce back." I stood up.
"How do you know that?" I smiled down at her.
"Because...you have to. For the sake of all of us...for the sake of yourselves. Riley and Maya against the world, that's how it's always been...how it always has to be. Happy New Year, Riley Matthews."
"Happy New Year, Skipper." I walked back over to Farkle, and the countdown started.
"Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One." Riley walked quickly to escape the roof.
"Riley still loves Lucas." Farkle shouted out.
So there we were. Illuminated by the light of fireworks...the light of a new year.Who knows what's gonna happen next?
"Well, thank you for a wonderful evening." Everyone cleared off the roof quickly, leaving only the five of us.
"I'm sorry, guys. I did the right thing. I hope you can forgive me." He directed the last part to Riley, leading me to the stairs.
"What happens now is up to them." I said as we walked. "Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year."